Monday, August 31, 2009

This week I wish to ponder on leadership in the church. However the principles can be used in any context. Anything that is healthy will grow. Just like a healthy child, we do not need to tell the child to grow. He will grow naturally. This is the same with the church of Jesus Christ. A healthy church will grow. Therefore, leadership in the church is given the responsibility to ensure that the things that we do in the church will promote church health, so that the church of Christ will grow in quantity and quality. Here are the important leadership principles to adhere to.

1. Taking Leadership RoleTitus 1:5-6 (NLT) says: ‘”I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.” Elders were the leaders of the early church. Without them the church would hardly sustain in her ministries. In our church, apart from the pastor and the elders, the council members and ministry heads are being looked upon as leaders of the church today rather than merely playing the role of administrators to get the affairs of the church in order.

Those who are in leadership position must begin to see that they are leaders of the church. This is important because leadership position will not ensure that a person will function as a leader. It is when a person sees himself or herself as a leader, things begin to change because the person will take leadership responsibility. The quality of the church is very much dependent on the leadership of the church. Leadership determines the success of the church as a whole. You may be a leader by position, but do you see yourself as the leader, taking leadership responsibility?

2. Leading In Upholding The Unity Of The ChurchCol 3:13-15 (NLT) says: “Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

The uniqueness in Christian loving is to love those who are not in our favor or those who are in conflict with us. Love is our only strong witness. John 13:34-35 (NIV) says: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Ultimately, it is only love expressing itself in making allowance for each other’s faults, willing to forgive those who offend us like what our Lord Jesus did that will bring healing to wounded relationships. It is by practicing loving one another in spite of our differences that we can be bound together in harmony. We must also allow the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts to promote peaceful relationships as this is also a calling of God. Nothing can destroy the church faster than unresolved conflicts in relationships.

See yourself as a leader taking responsibility and always promote unity and harmony with the love of Christ. This will promote church health.

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message.” John 17:20 (HCSB)

During the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for himself, and then he prayed for the disciples.

And then, with the hour of his death approaching, he took the time to pray for you. He prayed for all those who would believe through the ministry of the disciples, and that means you.

Jesus prayed for you, and this is what he said to God:

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.”“I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

“Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world’s foundation.” (John 17:20–24, HCSB)

What does this mean?

· Jesus cares for you – And, in fact, he still prays for you: “Therefore He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:25, HCSB)

· Jesus wants you with him in heaven – “Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am.” (John 17:24, HCSB)

· Jesus empowers you to follow God’s purpose – “I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:22–23, HCSB)

In his book Making a Life, Making a Living, Mark Albion writes about a revealing study of businesspeople who took two very different paths after graduating from college. Here is what he says:

A study of business school graduates tracked the careers of 1,500 people from 1960 to 1980. From the beginning, the graduates were grouped into two categories. Category A consisted of people who said they wanted to make money first so that they could do what they really wanted to do later—after they had taken care of their financial concerns. Those in Category B pursued their true interest first, sure that the money would eventually follow.What percentage fell into each category?Of the 1,500 graduates in the survey, the money-now Category A’s comprised 83 percent, or 1,245 people. Category B risk takers made up 17 percent, or 255 graduates.After twenty years there were 101 millionaires in the group. One came from Category A, 100 from Category B.The study’s author, Srully Blotnick, concluded that “the overwhelming majority of people who have become wealthy have become so thanks to work they found profoundly absorbing ….their ‘luck’ arose from the accidental dedication they had to an area they enjoyed.”

When people pursue what they are truly passionate about, it makes all the difference. Passion fills them with energy and desire. It gives them the will to win. And as writer David Ambrose says, “If you have the will to win, you have achieved half of your success. If you don’t, you have achieved half of your failure.” If you want to reach your potential, find your passion.

I believe I have been fortunate because my passion has been my calling and career. Way back at Hillham, I discovered the connection between passion and potential. For almost forty years I have lived off of the energy that comes from loving what I do and doing what I love.

To most people, there’s a big difference between work and play. Work is what they have to do to earn a living so that someday they can do what they want to do. Don’t live your life that way! Choose to do what you love and make the necessary adjustments to make it work in your life. Follow the advice of Confucius, who said, “Choose work you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” The greatest job is one where you’re not sure where the line is between work and play.

(John C. Maxwell, Leadership Gold, pp. 45-46)

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,and to give his life as a ransom for many” ~Mark 10:45

The great missionary Hudson Taylor said, “All God’s giants were weak people.” The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember …

Noah was a drunkAbraham was too oldIsaac was a daydreamerJacob was a liarLeah was uglyJoseph was abusedMoses had a stuttering problemGideon was afraidSamson had long hair and was a womanizerRahab was a prostituteJeremiah and Timothy were too youngDavid had an affair and was a murdererElijah was suicidalIsaiah preached nakedJonah ran from GodNaomi was a widowJob went bankruptPeter denied ChristThe Disciples fell asleep while prayingMartha worried about everythingThe Samaritan woman was divorced, more than onceZaccheus was too small and had bad reputationPaul was a persecutor of the chruch Timothy had an ulcer... ANDLazarus was dead!

Now! No more excuses!God can use you to your full potential. Besides youaren’t the message, you are just the messenger.

1. Words of WelcomeWelcome everyone to God’s house. It is indeed a pleasure that we can worship God together this morning. May God’s word enrich and bring transformation to our lives.

2. MARRIAGE, FAMILY & YOUTH SEMINAROn 5th September, 7:30pm at Wisma Basel, there will be 2 talks organized by the Agape Counseling Centre.Talk 1 : “Couples Communication & Family Stress” by Lai Chiu Hwa is suitable for married adults.Talk 2 : “Emotions & Stress” by Lee Hsiao Wei caters for youths and junior youths.Both talks are free of charge and will be conducted in Mandarin.

3. MID-AUTUMN FESTIVALOn 26th September, 7:00pm at Wisma Basel, the BCCM Sandakan Chinese congregation will be organizing a Mid-Autumn Festival gathering. There will be a potluck dinner. Each family is to bring 1 dish. At the same time, there will be a Tang Lung (Chinese lantern) competition. There are two categories of competition namely the individual category and group category. The entrance fee is RM5 for each Tang Lung. The deadline for the competition is 13th September. Please register with brother Chong Kat Vui (013-8851018) or sister Yong Yen Phin (272119). An estimated amount around RM1,500.00 is needed to organize this event. We need freewill offerings and sponsors. Please contact Preacher Yoa for further details.

4. FUND RAISING CONCERT FOR STS’s MULTI-PURPOSE EDUCATION CENTREA fund raising concert ,“Church Music In Perspective”, organized by the Association For Members Of Chinese Church Music Sabah will be held on 17th October 2009, 7:30pm at BCCM Sandakan. Our English and Chinese congregation combined choir, BCCM Sing Kang choir, BCCM Tawau choir and BCCM Sandakan (BM) tambourine group will be involved in this concert. Tickets, priced at RM1,000.00, RM500.00, RM100,00 RM50.00 and RM20.00 are on sale. You can buy the tickets from our choir members, Preacher Lo or Preacher Yoa. Please refer to the poster in front of the church for further information.

6. CATECHISM CLASSCatechism class for Confirmation and Adult Baptism will commence in September 2009. Closing date for registration is 6th September 2009. Please obtain the registration form from the “Enquiries” desk and return the completed form to Preacher Timothy Lo. Dates for the catechism class will be fixed later.

7. CHURCH FELLOWSHIPS BIBLE QUIZBooks : Old Testament — NehemiahNew Testament - JamesDate : 24th October 2009 (Saturday) Time : 7:30pmVenue : Wisma BaselBrothers and sisters are encouraged to read the two books and be prepared to participate in the Bible Quiz.

8. PASTOR’S & CHURCH CLERK’S ITINERARYPreacher Yoa is away on leave on 29 - 30 August 2009.Church clerk sister Pang Sow Li will be away on leave on 1 - 2 September 2009.

9. CHURCH FAMILY FELLOWSHIP DISCOVERY CAMPOur church Family Fellowship Discovery Camp will be held at Sepilok Jungle Resort from 20-22 September 2009. The registration deadline has been extended to 13 September. We encourage brothers and sisters to join this camp. Please register as soon as possible with sister Annie Yeo (013-8962298) or church office (089-215615). See the poster in front of the church for more details.

10. LOVE AND CONCERN FOR THE TYPHOON AND FLOOD VICTIMS OF TAIWANThe Southern part of Taiwan was seriously affected by “Morakot” Typhoon on 7th August 2009, This is Taiwan’s worst typhoon disaster in 50 years, resulting in severe devastation in the Southern part, and hundreds of thousands of victims were stranded. It is really sorrowful to see these scenes of distress, suffering and tragedy in newspaper reports.

Brothers and sisters are urged to pray for these victims in Taiwan.

BCCM has established a Special Disaster Fund for the Taiwan victims. Donations received will be sent as soon as possible to Taiwan Disaster Region through Taiwan Hakka Evangelical Association and other organizations.

All BCCM congregations are requested to have free-will offering for this Special Disaster Fund on 23rd August and also on 30th August 2009.It is hoped that brothers and sisters will donate generously to this Fund out of love for the victims.

Thanks are extended to brothers and sisters for your co-operation and support. May the Almighty God greatly bless all the donors.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

We recognize that Jesus is a compelling model of good spiritual leadership. As a young man Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). This means Jesus developed his relationship with God the Father as well as with people. The cross reminds us of these two aspects of relationship; the vertical relationship with God and the horizontal relationship with man. These two aspects of relationship is a requirement for spiritual leadership in the church.

1. Growing in the favor of God.Jesus’ leadership with the Father was characterized by his absolute obedience. He said “… the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. … By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:19, 30 NIV). All that Jesus did was to obey the Father and to please him.

At the bottom of our hearts, are we seeking to be obedient to do God’s will and to please him? When God looks into our hearts, will he find that there is no personal agenda, no seeking for self interest, no longing for the recognition of man and no hidden hunger for a little power? The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart; Seeking to do God’s will and to please him is to grow in the favor of God.

2. Growing in the favor of men.Christian leadership is not based on position. Position is important but it is the basic entry level of leadership because the only influence we have is that which comes with the title. A person may have control over an organization because he or she has been appointed to a position. In that position that person may be given authority. But real leadership is being the kind of person that others will gladly and confidently follow. People will not follow a positional leader beyond his stated authority. They may or will do what is required of them to do, and beyond that, nothing more.

In the church context, we are encouraging people to work when they are not obligated to do so. Everyone is a member and everyone serves voluntarily. Therefore spiritual leadership must begin with the heart and not with the head. Leadership flourishes in an environment of meaningful relationship and not more regulations. Effective leadership cannot be sustained without building on solid and lasting relationships.

We heard these sayings often: “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” “You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.” “You can love people without leading but you cannot lead people without loving them.” Jesus said: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34 NLT). Love is the foundation of our relationship and relationship is the foundation of Christian leadership. May you grow in the favor of God and Men.

But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. ~Luke 22:26 NLT

1. Leading By ExampleI have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ~John 13:15 (NIV)Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

~1 Peter 5:3 (NLT)

2. Give People A Greater VisionJesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: … “Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.* 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

~Matt 10:5-8 (NLT)

3. Encourage Others“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

4. Give Honest Feedback"It was because you do not have enough faith," answered Jesus. "I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill, 'Go from here to there!' and it will go. You could do anything!"

~Matt 17:20 (TEV)

“Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” ~Eph 4:29 (NLT)

5. Treat Others As EqualsI do not call you servants any longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father.

~John 15:15-16 (TEV)

6. Pray For ThemBut I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

~Luke 22:32 (NIV)"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.

Please remember what you told your servant Moses: “If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations.” Nehemiah 1:8 (NLT)

Here are four secrets to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah:

1. Base your request on God’s character. Pray like you know God will answer you: “I’m expecting you to answer this prayer because of who you are. You are a faithful God. You are a great God. You are a loving God. You are a wonderful God. You can handle this problem, God!"

2. Confess the sins of which you’re aware. After Nehemiah bases his prayer on who God is, he confesses his sins. He says, “We’ve sinned.” He says “I confess . . . myself . . . my father’s house . . . we have acted wickedly . . . we have not obeyed.” It wasn’t Nehemiah’s fault that Israel went into captivity. He wasn’t even born when it happened and he was most likely born in captivity. Yet, he’s including himself in the national sins. He says, “I’ve been a part of the problem.”

3. Claim the promises of God. Nehemiah prays to the Lord, saying, “I want you to remember what you told your servant Moses.” Can you imagine saying “remember” to God? Nehemiah reminds God of a promise he made to the nation of Israel. In effect, he prays, “God, you warned through Moses that if we were unfaithful, we would lose the land of Israel. But you also promised that if we repent, you’d give it back to us.” Does God have to be reminded? No. Does he forget what he’s promised? No. Then why do we do this? Because it helps us remember what God has promised.

4. Be very specific in what you ask for. If you want specific answers to prayer, then make specific requests. If your prayers consist of general requests, how will you know if they’re answered? Nehemiah is not hesitant to pray for success. He’s very bold in his praying. Have you ever prayed, “Lord, make me successful?” If you haven’t, why haven’t you? What is the alternative? A failure? Is it okay to ask God to make you successful? It all depends on your definition of success! I believe a good definition of success is: “Fulfilling God’s purpose for my life in faith, love, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and expecting the results from God.” That is a worthy life objective that you should be able to pray for with confidence. Consider this: If you can’t ask God to make you a success at what you’re doing, you should be doing something else. God doesn’t want you to waste your life.

Since all leaders have to deal with negativity and criticism, regardless of position or profession, it’s important for them to learn to handle it constructively. Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Criticism is something you can avoid easily—by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” However, that isn’t an option for anyone who wants to be successful as a leader. So what do you do?

1. Know Yourself—This Is a Reality IssueAs a young leader I soon learned that having an upfront position was certain to draw criticism, no matter who the leader was or what he did. Highly visible leaders often have to function in difficult environments—such as the office in which the following sign is said to have been displayed:

Notice:This department requires no physical fitness program: everyone gets enough exercise jumping to conclusions, flying off the handle, running down the boss, knifing friends in the back, dodging responsibility, and pushing their luck.—Anonymous

So if you are automatically going to be criticized if you are a leader, what should you do? First, have a realistic view of yourself. That will lay a solid foundation for you handle criticism successfully. Here’s why: Many times, when a leader is being criticized, it’s really the leadership position that prompts the negative remarks, not the individual leader. You need to be able to separate the two, and you can do that only when you know yourself. If a criticism is directed at the position, don’t take it personally. Let it roll off of you. Knowing yourself well may take some time and effort. As founding father Benjamin Franklin observed, “There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.” However, the effort is worth the reward.

I have to admit that the majority of criticism that I have received over the years was directed more at me than at the position I held. Often people have tried to help me know myself, and the conversation usually began with the phrase “I’m going to tell you something for your own good.” I discovered that when they tell me something for my own good, they never seem to have anything good to tell me! However, I have realized that what I need to hear most is what I want to hear least. From those conversations I have learned much about myself.

Obviously, the things I have found out about myself are not flattering. Yet those weaknesses are a reality. So the question is, what am I to do about it? (John C. Maxwell, Leadership Gold, pp. 34-35)

This historic English church office dedication was held immediately after our combined Sunday worship service on 9th August. The ceremony kicked off with a presentation by the Boys’ Brigade Brass Band. Rev. Chung Hee Min, Dean of the BCCM Chinese General Council, led us in the dedication prayer after which Rev. Chung, Rev. James Wong, and Mr. Vun Soon Chong the Chairman cut the ribbon.

The most meaningful moment came when Rev. Chung pricked the three balloons in the order of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The key was hidden in the third balloon. He then opened the office door and visited the new office. The theme of the office is Love & Sacrifice symbolized by the Crown of Thorns surrounding a big clock.After the ceremony, breakfast was served and door gifts were given to everyone who visited the office.

We would like to thank all the church members who helped us in the office opening in the decoration and preparation of this grand event.

This office is dedicated for the Glory of God and for the service of our church members.

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16: 33b).

We were glad to invite Rev. Dr. Stephen Tee, Senior Pastor of Covenant Community Life to share with us in our seminar on the Triumphant Christian Life. He came along with his wife Ps. Dr. Catherine Chin. This six hours-seminar was specially designed to discover the keys on how to live victoriously in a time of world economic crisis and Influenza A (H1N1).

A total of 47 members attended the seminar. The first session began on 15th August 7.30pm with a time of praise and worship. The second and third sessions were held on 16th August at 2:00pm and 7:30pm.

The teaching in the seminar dealt at length with Joshua chapter 6 & 7 from which we discovered the 4 reasons for spiritual defeat. They were (1) Violation of God’s principle due to disobedience (2) Pride (3) Prayerlessness and (4) Wrong perception.

The second part of the seminar revealed to us the four strategies to turn defeat into victory. The 4 steps were (1) Revelation—to come before God and discover our mistakes. (2) Repenting from our sins. (3) Rebuilding— taking time to rebuild our spiritual strength. (4) Returning— which means after we have renewed our spiritual strength, our confidence and faith recharged, we must encounter the same enemy again.

We were greatly blessed by attending this seminar. May God bless Rev. Dr. Stephen Tee and his family in their ministries.

1. Words of WelcomeWelcome to God’s house. It is our pleasure to have you worshipping the Lord together with us. May you find joy in worshipping God with us.

2. WALK FOR JESUS—23 AUGUST 2009This is a state wide event where most of the churches come together to pray for our city and raise fund for charitable organizations. The theme for this walk is “Righteousness exalts a nation.” Let us gather at the town “padang” at 3:00pm this afternoon.

3. CHINESE GENERAL COUNCIL WOMEN FELLOWSHIP RETREAT AND AGMThis event will be held at our church from 27 - 29 August. The AGM is on 27 August and the retreat is from 28 - 29 August. 268 sisters from various BCCM congregations will be participating in this event. Registration is still open for local participants. The fee is RM60.00. For further details, please contact sister Lee Yuk Mui (012-8101223).

4. MARRIAGE, FAMILY & YOUTH SEMINAROn 5th September, 7:30pm at Wisma Basel, there will be 2 talks organized by the Agape Counseling Centre.Talk 1 : “Couples Communication & Family Stress” by Lai Chiu Hwa is suitable for married adults.Talk 2 : “Emotions & Stress” by Lee Hsiao Wei caters for youths and junior youths.Both talks are free of charge and will be conducted in Mandarin.

5. MID-AUTUMN FESTIVALOn 26th September, 7:00pm at Wisma Basel, the BCCM Sandakan Chinese congregation will be organizing a Mid-Autumn Festival gathering. There will be a potluck dinner. Each family is to bring 1 dish. At the same time, there will be a Tang Lung (Chinese lantern) competition. There are two categories of competition namely the individual category and group category. The entrance fee is RM5 for each Tang Lung. The deadline for the competition is 13th September. Please register with brother Chong Kat Vui (013-8851018) or sister Yong Yen Phin (272119). An estimated amount around RM1,500.00 is needed to organize this event. We need freewill offerings and sponsors. Please contact Preacher Yoa for further details.

6. FUND RAISING CONCERT FOR STS’s MULTI-PURPOSE EDUCATION CENTREA fund raising concert ,“Church Music In Perspective”, organized by the Association For Members Of Chinese Church Music Sabah will be held on 17th October 2009, 7:30pm at BCCM Sandakan. Our English and Chinese congregation combined choir, BCCM Sing Kang choir, BCCM Tawau choir and BCCM Sandakan (BM) tambourine group will be involved in this concert. Tickets, priced at RM1,000.00, RM500.00, RM100,00 RM50.00 and RM20.00 are on sale. You can buy the tickets from our choir members, Preacher Lo or Preacher Yoa. Please refer to the poster in front of the church for further information.

7. PASTORS’ ITINERARYPreacher Lo is away on leave from 18 - 25 August 2009.Preacher Yoa will be away on leave on 29 - 30 August 2009.

9. CATECHISM CLASSCatechism class for confirmation and Adult Baptism will commence in September 2009. Closing date for registration is 6th September 2009. Please obtain the registration form from the “Enquiries” desk and return the completed form to Preacher Timothy Lo. Dates for the catechism class will be fixed later.

10. CHURCH FELLOWSHIPS BIBLE QUIZ Books : Old Testament — NehemiahNew Testament - JamesDate : 24th October 2009 (Saturday) Time : 7:30pmVenue : Wisma BaselBrothers and sisters are encouraged to read the two books and be prepared to participate in the Bible Quiz.

11. LOVE AND CONCERN FOR THE TYPHOON AND FLOOD VICTIMS OF TAIWANThe Southern part of Taiwan was seriously affected by “Morakot” Typhoon on 7th August 2009, This is Taiwan worst typhoon disaster in 50 years, resulting in severe devastation in the Southern part, and hundreds of thousands of victims were stranded. It is really sorrowful to see these scenes of distress suffering and tragedy in newspaper reports.

Brothers and sisters are urged to pray for these victims in Taiwan.

BCCM has established a Special Disaster Fund for the Taiwan victims. Donations received will be sent as soon as possible to Taiwan Disaster Region through Taiwan Hakka Evangelical Association and other organizations.

All BCCM congregations are requested to have free-will offering for this Special Disaster Fund on this Sunday 23rd August and also next Sunday 30th August 2009.It is hoped that brothers and sisters will donate generously to this Fund out of love for the victims.

Thanks are extended to brothers and sisters for your co-operation and support. May the Almighty God greatly bless all the donors.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

I have talked about the five DNAs of Christian leadership. They are (1) Having a serving and giving attitude like Jesus Christ according to his life mission statement recorded in Mark 10:45. (2) Christian leadership must be founded on one single motivation: Loving God wholeheartedly and loving people fervently as this is the summary of all the laws of God (Mark 12:30-31). (4) A humble learning attitude which is the attitude of Christ in Philippians 2:5-7 (4) Faith in God’s providence to move mountains (Mk 11:22-25). (5) A forgiving heart which helps you to rebound in healing when you are hurt leading God’s people (Matthew 18:21-22).This week we will continue to talk about the following Characteristics of Christian Leadership.

(6) A Team Player. Successful leadership in the church depends on having a team. All great leaders are great team builders. An authoritarian leader is someone who makes unilateral decision without reference to the team. In the end, the team abandons him. In fact, if you don’t have a team, you are not a leader. You are a loner. Jesus had a team of twelve. Everything he did in ministry he did it with a team (Matthew 10:1). It is the teamwork spirit that sets apart a spiritual leader from a common leader. We see Paul’s team spirit when he said: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8 NIV). There was no problem for him to team up with Apollos in the work of the gospel.

(7) The Spirit of Excellence. Good leadership demands hard work as well as continuing learning to operate on our level best. Paul said: “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, ...” (1 Corinthians 3:10 NIV). You know the difference between a common builder and an expert builder. An expert builder is a person who operates above the average. In the information age, the new rules of the game is not what you know but how fast you learn. What you know could be outdated long time ago. How can I polish my leadership skill and what are the new things I need to learn to be an ‘expert builder?’ Ecclesiastes 10:10 says: “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.”

(8) Sharing A Common Vision. Jack Welch, a highly regarded figure due to his innovative management strategies and leadership style said: “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” Jesus gave a very clear vision to his disciples to continue his work. He said: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, …” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). Christian leadership in its totality must be very focused in accomplishing this Great Commission. Anything that hinders the accomplishment of this vision must be reviewed and subject to change. May God bless your leadership.

Rev. Dr. Stephen is no stranger to many of us. Last year we invited him to speak in our Seminar on Prayer. We are glad that this year he is able to give his time to us to share with us in our seminar on the Triumphant Christian life. For this trip he brings with him his wife Ps. Dr. Catherine Chin. We extend our warmest welcome to both of them.

Rev. Dr. Stephen accepted the Lord Jesus Christ in 1971. He was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit in June 1974. He completed his Bachelor in Civil Engineering and Master in Construction Management degrees from England.

He practiced in both the Construction and Consultancy Industry for 18 years before responding to God’s call. He completed his Theological Studies with Doctorate of Ministry and Doctorate of Divinity from USA.

He pioneered Covenant Community Life Church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1996. He was ordained by World Evangelist Outreach (USA). Presently, he is the Senior Pastor and President of Asia of Pacific Seminary which conducts E-learning theological Programs from USA.

He is also the Director of Millennium International University (USA) which offers Bachelor to Doctorate E-learning program with students in the South East Asian and Asian Pacific Region. Both Asia Pacific Seminary and Millennium International University are accredited IS0 9001:2000 by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

He is a man after God’s heart and understands the secret things of the Lord through his lifestyle of worship and prayer. He conducts seminars, Pastor conferences, national denominational conferences, church camps and lectures in Bible Seminary/Colleges in many countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Europe, East Asia, South East Asia, India and Africa. He ministers to all denomination such as Anglican, Baptist, Assembly of God, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian and so on.

A Gifted teacher, he ministers the Word of God with a strong teaching anointing, presenting the Word in simplicity, clarity and authority. He is sensitive to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. He is married to Ps. Dr. Catherine Chin and has two sons, William and David Roland.

Leader become better leaders when they experience a defining moment and respond to it correctly. Anytime they experience a breakthrough, it allows the people who follow them to also benefit. The difficulty with defining moments is that you don’t get to choose them. You can’t sit down with your calendar and say, “I’m going to schedule a defining moment for next Tuesday at eight o’clock.” You cannot control when they will come. However, you can choose how you will handle them when they come, and you can take steps to prepare for them. Here’s how:

1. Reflect on Defining Moments from the pastIt’s said that those who do not study history are destined to repeat its mistakes. That statement applies not only in a broad sense to nation or culture but also to individuals and their personal histories. The best teacher for a leader is evaluated experience. To predict how you will handle defining moments in the future, look at the ones from your past.

2. Prepare for Defining Moments in the FutureOne of the most valuable things I’ve done in my life is to make major choices before times of crisis or decision. That has enabled me to simply manage those decisions in critical moments of my life. A few of these decisions I made as a teenager, many in my twenties and thirties, and a few later in life. I wrote about these decisions in depth in my book Today Matters, but I’ll give them to you here so that you can get the gist:

Attitude: I will choose and display the right attitudes daily.Priorities: I will determine and act upon important priorities daily.Health: I will know and follow healthy guidelines daily.Family: I will communicate with and care for my family daily.Thinking: I will practice and develop good thinking daily.Commitment: I will make and keep proper commitments daily.Finances: I will earn and properly manage finances daily.Faith: I will deepen and live out my faith daily.Relationship: I will initiate and invest in solid relationships daily.Generosity: I will plan for and model generosity daily.Values: I will embrace and practice good values daily.Growth: I will desire and experience improvements daily.

I don’t have to wrestle with these issues during a defining moment. They are already settled. And I am free to focus on the situation at hand and make decisions based on them. (John C. Maxwell, Leadership Gold, pp. 26-27)

1. Words of WelcomeWelcome to God’s house. We thank Dr. Stephen Tee for sharing with us God’s word this morning. May God’s word enrich and bring transformation to our lives.

2. WALK FOR JESUS—23 AUGUST 2009This is a state wide event where most of the churches come together to pray for our city and raise fund for charitable organizations. The theme for this walk is “Righteousness exalts a nation.” This theme for our prayer is most appropriate during this time of our nation. Let us gather at MPS at 3:00pm.

3. CHINESE GENERAL COUNCIL WOMEN FELLOWSHIP RETREAT AND AGMThis event will be held at our church from 27 - 29 August. The AGM is on 27 August and the retreat is from 28 - 29 August. 268 sisters from various BCCM congregations will be participating in this event. Registration is still open for local participants. The fee is RM60.00. For further details, please contact sister Lee Yuk Mui (012-8101223).

4. MARRIAGE, FAMILY & YOUTH SEMINAROn 5th September, 7:30pm at Wisma Basel, there will be 2 talks organized by the Agape Counseling Centre.Talk 1: “Couples Communication & Family Stress” by Lai Chiu Hwa is suitable for married adults.Talk 2: “Emotions & Stress” by Lee Hsiao Wei caters for youths and junior youths.Both talks are free of charge and will be conducted in Mandarin.

5. MID-AUTUMN FESTIVALOn 26th September, 7:00pm at Wisma Basel, the BCCM Sandakan Chinese congregation will be organizing a Mid-Autumn Festival gathering. There will be a potluck dinner. Each family is to bring 1 dish. At the same time, there will be a Tang Lung (Chinese lantern) competition. There are two categories of competition namely the individual category and group category. The entrance fee is RM5 for each Tang Lung. The deadline for the competition is 13th September. Please register with brother Chong Kat Vui (013-8851018) or sister Yong Yen Phin (272119). An estimated amount around RM1,500.00 to organize this event. We need freewill offerings and sponsors. Please contact Preacher Yoa for further details, and also refer to the rules of competition inserted in this bulletin.

6. FUND RAISING CONCERT FOR STS’s MULTI-PURPOSE EDUCATION CENTREA fund raising concert ,“Church Music In Perspective”, organized by the Association For Members Of Chinese Church Music Sabah will be held on 17th October 2009, 7:30pm at BCCM Sandakan. Tickets, priced at RM1,000.00, RM500.00, RM100,00 RM50.00 and RM20.00 are on sale. You can get the tickets from Preacher Lo or Preacher Yoa. For more information please refer to the poster in front of the church.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Last week I shared with you the DNA of Christian Leadership. I have covered the first two important characteristics. They are (1) Having a serving and giving attitude like Jesus Christ according to his life mission statement recorded in Mark 10:45. (2) Christian leadership must be founded on one single motivation: Loving God wholeheartedly and loving people fervently as this is the summary of all the laws of God (Mark 12:30-31).This week we will continue to talk about the DNA of Christian Leadership.

3. A humble and learning attitude.Jesus said an adult does not even stand a chance of entering heaven without the humble attitude of a child (Matthew 18:1-4). Paul said we should learn from the humility of Jesus Christ. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:5-7 NLT).

Francis Quarles, an English Poet said this: "If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble; for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, so it is believed of none but by itself; the voice of humility is God's music, and the silence of humility is God's rhetoric. Humility enforces where neither virtue nor strength can prevail nor reason.”

4. Faith in God’s Providence.God’s business is a business of faith. Faith is forward looking and looking beyond. It is trusting in the providence of God rather than in the resources at our disposal. Sometimes, the way to see by faith is to shut the eyes of reason because faith can move mountains. Jesus said: "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:22-25 NIV).

5. A Forgiving Heart.Without this DNA it is very difficulty to last in Christian leadership knowing the unique nature of it. You must be prepared to be hurt when you assume the leadership role. The earlier you know this the earlier the better for you. The greatest challenge that comes to you may be from the people who are closest to you. Their unfavorable remarks can cut into your bones! No medicine can heal that. Without self healing your leadership will expire. You lose focus and you give up.

Peter asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?“ Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matt 18:21-22). When we are wounded in leading others healing comes from our willingness to forgive. (to be continued next week)

3. Practice PatienceThe leaders I know tend to be impatient. They look ahead, think ahead, and want to move ahead. And that can be good. Being one step ahead makes you a leader. However, that can also be bad, Being fifty steps ahead could make you a martyr.

Few worthwhile things in life come quickly. There is no such thing as instant greatness or instant maturity. We are used to instant oatmeal, instant coffee, and microwave popcorn. But becoming a leader doesn’t happen overnight. Microwave leaders don’t have any staying power. Leadership is more of a Crock-pot proposition. It takes time, but the end product is worth the wait.

Leaders need to remember that the point of leading is not to cross the finish line first. It’s to take people across the finish line with you. For that reason, leaders must deliberately slow their pace, stay connected to their people, enlist others to help fulfill the vision, and keep people going. You can’t do that if you are running too far ahead of your people.

4. Seek AccountabilityPeople who lead themselves well know a secret; they can’t trust themselves. Good leaders know that power can be seductive, and they understand their own fallibility. To be a leader and deny this is to put yourself in danger.

Over the years, I’ve read about many leaders who failed ethically in their leadership. Can you guess what they had in common? They all thought it could never happen to them. There was a false sense of security. They thought they were incapable of running their lives and the lives of others.

Learning that was very sobering to me, because I shared the same attitude. I thought I was above such possibilities, and that scared me. At that moment, I made two decisions: First, I will not trust myself. Second, I will become accountable to someone other than myself. I believe those decisions have helped to keep me on track and able to lead myself and others.

Lack of accountability in our personal life will certainly lead to problems in our public life. We saw that time and time again with high-profile CEOs a few years ago. A Chinese proverb says, “When you see a good man, think of emulating him; when you see a bad man, examine your heart.”

Many people feel that accountability is a willingness to explain your actions. I believe that effective accountability begins way before we take action. It starts with getting advice from others. For leaders especially, this often develops in stages:

We don’t want advice. > We don’t object to advice. > We welcome advice. > We actively seek advice. > We often follow the advice given to us.

The willingness to seek and accept advice is a great indicator of accountability. … If you seek it early—before you take action—you will be less likely to get off track. Most wrong actions come about because people are not being held accountable early enough.

We thank God for his grace that we have now set up the English Church Office. Today is the dedication of this office for the Glory of God and for the service of our Church members. The theme of our office is “True service involves sacrifice of time and energy”. This is symbolized by the Crown of Thorns surrounding a big clock.(Come and visit the office and find out!)

Here are some thoughts about a Church office. The purpose of a church office can be well represented by the acronym W.O.R.K.S. The office is not simply a working place. It is a place to achieve the following purposes.

W = WORK SPACE & WORK ENVIRONMENTWork Space: It is a working place for pastors, full-time staffs and other church members who assist in ministry works. It is also a place for weekly meeting, evaluation, planning and execution of work.

Work Environment: A conducive work environment would include good lightings, temperature control and all necessary equipments and stationery that are needed for the work to be done. For example, photocopy machine, fax machine, computers, tables, chairs, proper fixture, fittings and furnishing.

O = ORGANIZATION ORDER AND ORGANIZATION IMAGEOrganization Order: The office must give a sense of order from table arrangements to sitting arrangements to filing arrangement. Orderly tables and shelves. A messy office is time consuming especially in searching for things.

Organization Image: A church should be able to project a professional presence in an urban setting. The office that claims to serve the Almighty God and God’s people must be careful with its set up; at least a decent set up. The office represents the business counter of God. Members of the church should be able to feel proud about their church office when they walk in.

R = RECORDS KEEPING AND RESOURCE CENTRERecords keeping: Minutes and other church documents, CDs and etc must be properly organized and kept for future references and ease of retrieval. The ultimate goal is to keep soft copy of church documents in PDF, video or DVD format. Events of the church should be properly documented in the relevant format for the church archive.

Resource centre: The office must have a section of resources related to pertinent issues of Christian living and ministries. Resource materials should include a section on family life, evangelism, youth ministries, children ministries, leadership, music and worship, discipleship, church growth, bible study materials, prayer, DVD evangelistic or Christian movies and etc.

K = KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MEMBERS & OTHER CHURCHESKeeping in touch with members: This is a crucial matter in promoting a closer relationship between members of the church near and far and the church office. Therefore, the office must be set up in such a way that promotes a sense of belonging and pride. For example, when members come to the office, there is a place for them to sit comfortably or to get the relevant assistance.

The office is also a communication centre that keeps in touch with members near and far via telephone calls, emailing, instant messages, providing church websites that contains information regarding the Christian faith, church events, Sunday sermons, study materials and etc.

The church office is also a centre to keep in touch with other churches and other related organizations for networking and promoting church unity, sharing of discipleship seminars and others.

S = SERVICE CENTRE FOR CHURCH MEMBERS & OTHERSThe office is the service centre for church members: The purpose of the office is to provide service for the church members and to serve their needs. Church members have contributed generously to the church and it is the church’s responsibility to serve them well through a proper church office.

There are five categories of church members that come to the church office. (1) Those who visit the pastor to get to know him. (2) Those who come because they are going to get married and some come with their parents for advice (3) Those who have lost their loved ones or going through suffering (4)Those who come for advice or counseling. (5) Those who come and do work in the office because they are involved in some church ministries.

For those who wish to do preparation work for ministries, we have prepared an extra table and a meeting room for them to work. We also provide internet connection for their convenience when they bring in their lap top computers to work.The office also exists to serve guests from out station and to provide the necessary assistance on food, accommodation and other matters.

1. Words of WelcomeWelcome to the house of God. We thank Rev. Chung Hee Min, our BCCM Chinese General Council Dean for sharing with us God’s word on this Mission Sunday. May God’s word bring transformation to our lives.

2. ENGLISH CHURCH OFFICE DEDICATIONAfter the service today, there will be a English Church office dedication. Please assemble at the parking area in front of Wisma Basel facing the English Church office. Refreshment and snacks will be served.

3. CHURCH COUNCIL MEETINGThe church council is meeting today, 11:30am.

4. ACKNOWLEDMENTSThe church acknowledges with gratitude to the following for their gifts:Thanksgiving Offering: Bro. Chong Tzu Khen & Family RM300.00 Anonymous RM 10.00

5. TRIUMPHANT CHRISTIAN LIFE: 14-15 AUGUST 2009No one wants to be defeated but there are keys to victorious living. This special seminar will help you to discover the keys to living a triumphant Christian life. The session will begin on 14 August (Fri) 7:30pm—10:00pm and continue the next day (Sat) from 2:00pm—4:30pm, and 7:30pm-10:00pm. We have invited Dr. Stephen Tee to be our speaker. Mark your calendar now and don’t miss this seminar.

6. WALK FOR JESUS—23 AUGUST 2009This is a state wide event where most of the churches come together to pray for our city and raise fund for charitable organizations. The theme for this walk is “Righteousness exalts a nation.” This theme for our prayer is most appropriate during this time of our nation. Let us gather at MPS at 3:00pm.

7. Fund Raising Concert For Sabah Theological Seminary’s Multi-Purpose Education CentreA fund raising concert ,“Church Music In Perspective”, organized by the Association For Members Of Chinese Church Music Sabah will be held on 17th October 2009, 7:30pm at BCCM Sandakan. Tickets, priced at RM1,000.00, RM500.00, RM100,00 RM50.00 and RM20.00 are on sale starting today. You can get the tickets from Preacher Lo or Preacher Yoa. For more information please refer to the poster in front of the church.

As we closed the nomination last Sunday we have a total of 20 nominees only, the number which we need to form the English Church Council for 2010-2011. Because we do not have more than 20 nominations we will not be able to have an election. Therefore, the 20 nominees will be the English Council Members for 2010-2011. Welcome on board!

This week I would share with you the DNA of Christian Leadership. Although there are numerous similarity in spiritual leadership and secular leadership, the similarities mostly rest on the principles of leading and achieving maximum result. However, the motivation could be entirely different and the approach to leadership will also be very different.

For example, a CEO can reprimand his subordinates for producing mediocre work but a pastor could not reprimand the church council members for failing to fulfill a task. At best, he can only encourage them unless it is a bad moral issue or wrong theological thinking. The reason is this; the subordinates of the CEO are paid staffs but the church council members are not paid staffs but people who serve the church voluntarily, out of love for God with the support of the congregation. Therefore, the church is the place where the leadership of a person is most severely tested! Here are the unique 8 DNA of a Christian leader.

1. Having a serving and giving attitude.Jesus said: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45 NIV). This is the summary of Jesus’ life. This is the first step to learn to lead like Jesus; having the serving and giving attitude. Without this fundamental attitude, we become frustrated easily. Church leadership is to serve the needs of the people in the church, to ensure efficient administration and to advance the gospel. Our level of serving and giving is measured by the standard of Christ. While we can learn valuable lessons of leadership from the experts in this field, our mentor is no other than Jesus Christ. The mandate of Christian discipleship is to become like Christ. Christian leaders are a group of people who serve and give like Jesus did. It is not seeking others to serve our little egos or to get what we can to satisfy our unexplained desires.

2. Love God wholeheartedly and love people fervently.The motivation of Christian leadership must be founded on this rock: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). A leader shows his love for God by loving God’s people. If the unseen intention of leadership is the craving for recognition, respect or power, such leadership is doomed for unhappiness. You have to decide on the onset the single motivation of your leadership. What is driving you in your leadership? Is it your love for God and love for people? This is the crucial question of leadership that only you can answer. (to be continued next week)

The truth is that to be successful in any endeavor, we need to learn how to get out of our own way. That’s as true for leaders as it is for anyone else. Because I have known for many years that the toughest person to lead is me, I have taken steps to help me to do that. By practicing the following four things, I have tried to lead myself well as a prerequisite to leading others.

1. Learn FollowershipBishop Fulton J. Sheen remarked, “Civilization is always in danger when those who have never learned to obey are given the right to command.” Only a leader who has followed well knows how to lead others well. Good leadership requires an understanding of the world that followers lived in. Connecting with your people becomes possible because you have walked in their shoes. You know what it means to be under authority and thus have a better sense of how authority should be exercised. In contrast, leaders who have never followed well or submitted to authority tend to be prideful, unrealistic, rigid, and autocratic.

If those words describe your leadership you need to do some soul searching. Arrogant leaders are rarely effective in the long run. They alienate their followers, their colleagues, and their leaders. Learn to submit to another person’s leadership and to follow well, and you will become a more humble—and effective—leader.

2. Develop Self-disciplineIt’s said that one day Frederick the Great of Prussia was walking on the outskirts of Berlin when he encountered a very old man walking ramrod straight in the opposite direction.

“Who are you?” Frederick asked his subject.“I am a king,” replied the old man.“A king!” laughed Frederick. “over what kingdom do you reign?”“Over myself,” was the proud old man’s reply.

Each of us is “monarch” of our own lives. We are responsible for ruling our actions and decisions. To make consistently good decisions, to take the right action when needed, and to refrain from the wrong actions requires character and self-discipline. To do otherwise is to lose control of ourselves—to do or say things we regret, to miss opportunities we are given, to spend ourselves into debt. As King Solomon remarked, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”

In “Decision of Character,” British essayist John Foster writes, “:A man without decision of character can never be said to belong to himself. He belongs to whatever can make a captive of him.” When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves. That begins when we do what we should no matter how we feel about it.(To be continued next week)

Early in the morning at 5:00 am, brother Vun Soon Chong, Rev. Tsen Heng Kong, brother Lo Lie Meng and brother Moo Fah Lin met at Mile 4 market for breakfast before taking off for Murok with brother Soon Chong on the wheel. It took a little over two hours of car ride and ferry ride and reached at Kg. Baba at about 7:40 am. Bishop Thomas Tsen, accompanied by Dean William Loh and Vice Chairman of BM General Council arrived shortly after.

The dedication service started a little after 8:00 am officiated by Bishop and attended by about 80 brothers and sisters. The chapel was completed in 2006 at a cost of RM42,000.00, with Rm20,000.00 grant from State Government, donations from local church members and BCCM Sandakan members as well as subsidy from the Oil Palm Project. The service ended at about 9:30 am.

On the way to Kg. Ansuan, we made a brief visit to the Kebun Kelapa Sawit BCCM and Bishop offered a thanksgiving prayer together with the worker.On arrival to BCCM Ansuan, we were greeted and warmly received by a long queue of church members. The dedication service was conducted by Bishop. It started at 10:30 am and lasted for about two and half hours. The Service was well attended by over 180 people with some sitting outside. The church building was completed in 2006 at a cost of RM52,000.00, with RM30,000.00 grant from State Government, donations from local members and BCCM Sandakan members as well as subsidy from the Oil Palm Project . The service was followed by a sumptuous lunch of local delicacies.

After lunch, we left for Kg. Barayung and arrived at BCCM Barayung at about 2:30 pm. The service started at 3:00 pm with Bishop conducting the dedication service cum 32nd anniversary celebration. It was a three-and-half-hour service of praise and celebration, and was well attended by about 200 people. The church was completed early this year at a cost of RM83,000.00, with State Government grant of RM50,000.00, RM5,000.00 from BCCM Sandakan members, donations from local members, subsidy and loan from Oil Palm Project. Again, after the service we were treated to a sumptuous dinner of local delicacies, including oil palm shoot. At 7:00 pm bishop and his party left for Kota Kinabalu and we left for Sandakan, arriving at 9:30 pm.

The congregations extended their appreciation to members of BCCM Sandakan for your kind donations to assist them to complete these new chapel and churches. It is heartening to learn that the church at Ansuan has to be extended to accommodate the growing number of Sunday worshippers. Praise The Lord!

The Journey of Life which is a Christian organization from Sibu, Sarawak has supplied 10,000 gospel tracts and gift CDs. On 10th to 12th July 2009, BCCM Sandakan evangelistic gospel team worked with BCCM Sibuga evangelistic gospel team and the Journey of Life from Sibu, Sarawak to distribute free gospel tracts and gifts to the people in Sandakan.

There were a total of 24 people who took part in this evangelical activity who - seven from Journey of Life, thirteen from BCCM Sibuga and four from our church. Those from our church were Sister Lee Nyuk Fun, Sister Tsen Mui Yun, Sister Sylvia Lai and Brother David Lai. We distributed the gospel tracks in residential areas in Sandakan. We started from very early in the morning at 5:30 am to 3:00 pm. We also distributed the gospel tracks at wet markets.

We met a lot of people in these three days. Some of them were type A people and they are very open to the gospel. Some were type B or type C people who were resistant and had doubts about gospel. Jesus said “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That’s is why the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19). We faced rejection during evangelism, but we had no fear. There were a lot of joy and peace in doing God’s work. Praise the Lord!

1. Words of WelcomeWelcome to the house of God. We thank Rev. Yen and all the members of the short term mission team to Kuching for sharing with us this morning. May God’s word bring transformation to our lives

2.MISSION SUNDAY AND ENGLISH CHURCH OFFICE DEDICATIONNext Sunday, our church is observing Mission Sunday. The speaker for Mission Sunday is Rev. Chung Hee Min, the Dean of the BCCM Chinese General Council. On this day we will have a combined service (English & Chinese) which will start at 8:30am. After the service, there will be a dedication service for the new English Church office. Refreshment and snacks will be served.

3.CHURCH COUNCIL MEETINGThe church council meeting for the month of August will be held next Sunday, 11:30am.

4.T-SHIRT FOR “WALK FOR JESUS”Today is the last day to order the T-shirt. The price is RM15.00 for children and RM20.00 for adult.

6.ACKNOWLEDMENTSThe church acknowledges with gratitude to the following for their gifts:Thanksgiving Offering: Sis. Liew Loi Khyun RM10.00

7.TRIUMPHANT CHRISTIAN LIFE—14-15 AUGUST 2009No one wants to be defeated but there are keys to victorious living. This special seminar will help you to discover the keys to living a triumphant Christian life. The session will begin on 14 August (Fri) 7:30pm—10:00pm and continue the next day (Sat) from 2:00pm—4:30pm, and 7:30pm-10:00pm. We have invited Dr. Stephen Tee to be our speaker. Mark your calendar now and don’t miss thisseminar.

8.WALK FOR JESUS—23 AUGUST 2009This is a state wide event where most of the churches come together to pray for our city and raise fund for charitable organizations. The theme for this walk is “Righteousness exalts a nation.” This theme for our prayer is most appropriate during this time of our nation. Let us gather at MPS at 3:00pm.

This is the final week of our nomination of candidates to be followed by election in August. We have decided to have 20 council members for 2010-2011 to ensure that there is a continuation of leadership in our church for the future.

It is our goal to enlist more young people and ladies into the council to have a balanced team to serve the interest of the church. This week I will deal with the importance of Church leadership.

1. Church leadership ensures the continuation of the church.The church cannot exist long without strong leadership. This was how the early church dealt with this issue. “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (Acts 14:23 NIV). Elders were the leaders and they were appointed to lead and to take care of the affairs of the church. They played a crucial role in ensuring the continuation of the church. Today, when we have many ministries going on in the church, we need more leaders to take charge of them. Without a leader, a ministry will have to close down in the worst scenario. We have learned from experience that without someone taking leadership we cannot even start a ministry. Every ministry begins with a leader and the continuation of that ministry depends largely on the leadership of that person.

2. Church leadership is corporate leadership.Proverbs 11:14 (NLT) has this to say about leadership; “Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety.” Without wise leadership a family will fall apart. Without wise leadership a business will go bust. Without wise leadership a church will be in trouble. In our church we have a culture of corporate leadership. The pastor or anyone else does not make unilateral decision. We believe in team work and the pastoral leadership is supported by a team of council members who are the ‘many counselors’ in the decision making process to ensure greater success. A leader can be wise only when he has many counselors at his disposal. No one man can be wiser than the rest combined!

3. Church leadership is a responsibility business.

Romans 12:6, 8b tells us that “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well” … “If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously (NLT).” This means you are accountable in your leadership role. You are diligent and you do not manipulate others or act bossy. You believe that God has given you the leadership ability and you give your best in return so that you can be accountable to God and to the church. It is my belief that church leadership can be a joyful and fulfilling task if we do it out of love for God’s church.

Without wise leadership, a nation falls;there is safety in having many advisers. ~Proverbs 11:14

1. KNOW YOUR IDENTITYYou must know who you are— know your strength and weaknesses.“I am the bread of life” ~John 6:48“I am the light of the world” ~John 8:12“I am the good shepherd” ~John 10:11‘I am the way, the truth and the life” ~John 14:6

2. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISHClarify what God has called you to do in life. Know your goals. Focus on what is important. Know the difference between the urgent and important.“ I know where I came from and where I am going. …” ~1John 8:14-15 (NIV)

“The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” ~John 10:10 (NLT)

3. KNOW WHO YOU ARE TRYING TO PLEASEWe cannot please everyone. Our motivation is to please God and serve others.“… I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” ~John 5:30 (NIV)

4. WORK WITH A TEAMTo be a leader you have to build a team. Great leaders don’t operate alone.“He (Jesus) called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. ~Matt 10:1 (NIV)

5. HAVE TIME WITH GODMake listening to God a habit of your life. You need time with people and you need time alone with God.“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” ~Mark 1:35 (NIV)

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” ~Luke 5:15-16 (NIV)

6. HAVE TIME FOR RELAXATIONLeadership is draining and hard work. Have fun and take time to recharge.Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." ~Mark 6:31 (NIV)

1. INDAH MISSION CENTRE 9TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONIndah Mission Centre, the brainchild of BCCM Sandakan, existed for the purpose of sharing the Gospel to the people in the Indah area with the eventual view of establishing a church there. We thank God for raising a group of brothers and sisters to serve the various ministries of the church. This evening they are celebrating their 9th anniversary. Everyone is invited to attend.

2. SHORT TERM MISSION SHARING—2ND AUGUST 2009Rev. Yen Se Veg and his team will share with us on 2 August 2009 (Sun). Most of us have not been to a mission trip to a far away place. Here is an opportunity for us to know more about the benefits of such a trip. Come and know the facts, hear the experience first hand and be encouraged.

3. ENGLISH CHURCH OFFICE DEDICATION—9TH AUGUST 2009The English church office is ready and the dedication service is scheduled on the 9 August 2009, which is also Mission Sunday. On this day we will have a combined service (English & Chinese) which will start at 8:30am. We have invited Rev. Chung Hee Min, the Dean of Chinese General Council to speak to us and after that to dedicate the English office. We will prepare breakfast for everyone. Remember to stay back for the office dedication and tea fellowship after the worship service.

4. TRIUMPHANT CHRISTIAN LIFE—14-15 AUGUST 2009No one wants to be defeated but there are keys to victorious living. This special seminar will help you to discover the keys to living a triumphant Christian life. The session will begin on 14 August (Fri) 7:30pm—10:00pm and continue the next day (Sat) from 2:00pm—4:30pm, and 7:30pm-10:00pm. We have invited Dr. Stephen Tee to be our speaker. Mark your calendar now and don’t miss this seminar.

5. WALK FOR JESUS—23 AUGUST 2009This is a state wide event where most of the churches come together to pray for our city and raise fund for charitable organizations. The theme for this walk is “Righteousness exalts a nation.” This theme for our prayer is most appropriate during this time of our nation. Let us gather at MPS at 3:00pm.

It’s hard for a financial institution to perform without credibility. It’s equally difficult for a leader to do so. Why? Because credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, leaders are solvent. Without it, they’re bankrupt.

1. Establishing credibility takes time.When leaders are just starting out, this might not be obvious at first. That’s because for about the first six months of a leader’s tenure, followers put more stock in communication than in credibility. After all, they haven’t had time to judge leaders’ actions, so they listen to their words.

But after six months, followers have seen enough of the leaders’ actions to start deciding whether they’re trustworthy or not. At this point, words begin to matter less and less. And the effectiveness of the communication will depend more on the character of the messenger than on the content of the message.

For credible leaders, the longer they lead beyond this point, the better it gets. But if leaders are not credible, then the longer they lead, the worse it gets.

2. Established credibility equals trust.And trust carries huge rewards. It means confidence. It erases worry and frees you to get on with other matters. Stephen R. Covey, in his book, The Speed of Trust, said,

Low trust is an unseen cost in life and business because it creates hidden agendas and guarded communication, thereby slowing decision-making. A lack of trust stymies innovation and productivity. Trust, on the other hand, produces speed because it feeds collaboration, loyalty and ultimately, results.

Good leaders know that if their followers don’t trust them, they’ll stop following them. Credibility is truly your currency as a leader. People believe that you’ll do what you say when you do what you say.

Consistently live what you communicate, and over time you’ll establish solid credibility. With that, your followers will feel free to trust you. And they’ll be willing to partner with you in achieving great things for your organization.

And that’s especially important in times like these when people are wondering what – and who – they can trust.

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